Former Diamondbacks Trevor Bauer, Zach Walters strike in doubleheader

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer delivers in the first inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014, in Cleveland.(Photo: Tony Dejak/AP)

CLEVELAND – Trevor Bauer filled up the strike zone on Wednesday afternoon with fastballs in the mid-90s, with curveballs and cutters and change-ups. He pitched eight dazzling innings, looking every bit like the pitcher the Diamondbacks thought they were getting when they took him third overall three years ago.

Of course, they were hoping those starts would come for them, not against them.

Bauer's performance helped the Cleveland Indians win the first game of a doubleheader the teams would ultimately split at Progressive Field.

Zach Walters, another former Diamondbacks prospect, ended Game 1 with a tiebreaking solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Indians a 3-2 victory. In Game 2, the Diamondbacks' Tuffy Gosewisch grounded a single through the middle to score Xavier Paul with the game's only run in the top of the 12th inning.

In the deal that sent Bauer to Cleveland two years ago, the Diamondbacks landed shortstop Didi Gregorius, who has been an impressive defender and solid hitter in parts of two seasons with the Diamondbacks.

And though Bauer has yet to evolve into a consistent, top-of-the-rotation starter, his outing on Wednesday showed the sort of high-upside potential the Diamondbacks' current rotation lacks, the kind of potential the organization will search tirelessly for in the offseason.

One outing does not make or break a trade, but it had to sting for the Diamondbacks to see Bauer pitch so effectively with such a dominant repertoire.

There was no drama from Bauer, only dominance. In his only interaction with catcher Miguel Montero, with whom he did not see eye to eye over pitch selection two years ago, Bauer said he paid Montero a compliment on his way off the field. Otherwise, he was all business.

It might have been the best outing of Bauer's major-league career — the eight innings established a career high — but he made it sound like it just happened to come against his old team.

"That was two years ago," Bauer said, when asked if facing the Diamondbacks meant more. "To me, it was another team, another lineup I was trying to get out. And that's it. There's no bad blood between me and them or anything like that. I moved on from it a long time ago and I'm trying to win some games."

Bauer did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, when Paul lined a single into right field. He gave up a run that inning on a double-play groundout. He gave up another run in the seventh, in which Montero doubled to left on a two-strike, checked-swing blooper.

Walters put up solid numbers in Low-A South Bend for the Diamondbacks in 2011 before he was shipped to the Washington Nationals in a trade deadline deal for right-hander Jason Marquis. Two weeks ago, he was sent to the Indians in another deadline deal, this one involving infielder Asdrubal Cabrera.

With one out and the bases empty in the ninth, Walters turned on a 1-2 fastball from Diamondbacks reliever Randall Delgado and launched his first home run with his new team.

"Randall threw two balls right by him," Gibson said. "The next one, it was the fourth fastball, probably too much middle (of the plate) and he got it."

Notable: Anderson has been the Diamondbacks' most reliable starting pitcher since he was recalled from Double-A Mobile in May. He has a 1.74 ERA in his past five starts, with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 31 innings. … Penny is a former fifth-round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 1996 draft. He was traded to the Marlins in 1999 — this is his second stint with the team — as part of the Matt Mantei trade. Penny, 36, did not pitch in 2013.